As they look towards the future and zero emission technology, Reading Buses have announced their second electric double deck bus trial in as many years.
From this Friday until September 17 Reading Buses will be running Alexander Dennis’s latest British bodied electric double deck demonstrator which has many impressive features like Reading’s normal fleet.
This is the second trial of a new electric double decker since last year and provides a further opportunity to obtain data and customer impressions based on Reading Buses own operations.
“Our last trial was with a London bus, but this latest demonstrator is something more like our own specification which will make for a better comparison,” said Robert Williams, Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer.
“We shall be welcoming all feedback from customers as well as drivers to help refine priorities for future orders. We will also be collecting valuable data on mileage and electricity consumption each day to assess the performance of the electric bus in ‘real-life’ conditions.”
Robert added: “Whilst we don’t have any plans to purchase electric vehicles at present, due to the additional purchase cost and limited range, we are still very keen to continue trialling the latest technology on offer from manufacturers for future reference, and to help refine future bids for government funding.”
The bus will be used throughout the day on the popular purple 17 route between September 9-17.